Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-22

ished-Oni,ial Statistic.-why Russia 10
Almost N-wspaperl-s.-warn
A complete stasnation threatens the
Russian press. II is not because nova
days there are no able writers in Russia.
The trouble is that the present minister Of
the interior, Count ID. Tolstoi, has sue
ceeded in abolishing all the noted journals
conducted by talented and independent
writers. The list Of the periodical publi-
cations that have been suppressed during
the last six years is far more interesting
and valuable than all the papers now liv
ing. Now there is no originality about
Russian journals, no freshness and none
OF that domestic stirring interest which
in the DAYS gone by used to So much at
tract attention in all parts of the great
empire.
The suspended Golos (The Voice has
left fully $1,000 subscribers without any
paper to their taste, for none Of them dare
TO defend the constitutional form Of the
government as The Golos did. In the
sixties, when the czar-liberator tried to
free the press from the iron grip Of the
censor. Nicholas Tchernyshevsky started
The Contemporary Review. monthly in
which he taught the Russian public for
the first time 10 conscientiously criticise
the government measures. Ii is impos-
sible in this country even to imagine
what a .whirlwind Of public opinion he
raised as by magic. But even the iber-
ator could not long stand such freedom of
discussion. and Tchernyshevsky WAS sent
to Siberia for seven years and kept there
for fifteen. But the martyrology Of the
Russian editors and writers is too long to
be given here. ~
The number of periodicals issued in
Russia amounts TO little over Goo. As
the population of the cars empire is
1O5, 0OO. OU. it is evident then that it takes
113, 900 Russian subjects to support one
periodical. whereas in the United States
every 1900 souls support some publica-
ton.
RUssIA's 400 PERIODICALS.
Putting aside 200 periodicals published
in other than the Russian language, he
400 Russian periodicals are classified as
follows: Daily, 55; weekly. s.; monthly,
81; several times per week, 40; several
times per year. 133. Nearly one half the
Russian periodicals are published in the
capital OF the empire, St. Petersburg, and
onethird in seven Of the largest towns,
leaving for the rest Of the great empire less
than 100 periodicals. In the czar' 5 country
there are many towns Of 10000, 20, 900.
or even 1900 inhabitants which have not
a periodical of any kind The whole of
Siberia, with 4,OOO, 900 of population, has
only two newspapers and bi-monthly of q
geographical society.
According to the official statistics fur
nished by the post department last year
in Russia there passed through tine mail
about U,D0,O1 copies of Russian peri
odicals of all sorts, and $500. 600 of for
eign periodicals were received In Russia.
Thus it appears that there is not for each
subject Of the car during a year even =
single copy Of any periodical, Russian or
foreign.
Why is the Russian press SO insignifl-
cant as TO its volumc' Some say it is be-
cause fully ~ per cent of the Russians
are illterate But il the educated and
schooled Russians would read newspapers
as freely "a Americans do, theV in Russia
there would be 5000 periodicals instead OF
600. There are other causes that make
the cars country almost newspaperless.
In the first place, there is no political life
at all. and the industrial life there is
III It's tinbrNOtIC state. Russians nave
not 50 much news to exchange as the
people in other countries have. In the
second place, the au'ocratic government
systematically and most strenucusly op-
poses the growth Of the press. Cars have
always been aware that writers, even
though in the clutches of censors and
under political supervision, are apt to
think for themselves, TO argue and to
criticise. Thus they develop in them
selves and IN their readers the qualities
most decidedly Objectionable in imperial
subjects. Every job printer in Russia
must procure IA police certificate OF good
character and furnish bonds. and every
publisher. resides these qualifications,
must maintain an imperial inspector at
his own establishment
In Russia every editor Of prominence
must pass a part OF his life in prison II
We adj Ia that the fatal ministerial warn
ings, prohibition of inserting advertise
ments. heavy fines and suspension, we
shall wonder not that there are so few
periodicals, but that among Russians
there are men and women ready to enter
the career OF journalist. which ranks in
danger next To that Of conspirator.-Mos-
COW Letter.
Use ii in every sick room. Will keep the